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Ellmers is a top target of the Club for Growth. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The conservative Club for Growth's political action committee will begin running new ads Tuesday aiming to help candidates in the North Carolina and Ohio Republican primaries.

While an ad in North Carolina will try to tear down Rep. Renee Ellmers to boost the Club's endorsed candidate, the group's ad in Ohio will try to build up Warren Davidson in the 15-way race for the seat Rep. John A. Boehner held before he resigned in October, a spokesman for the group said. The ad buy is the group's first this cycle in both states. The Club will spend $400,000 in each state for cable, broadcast and online spots for two weeks, a Republican with knowledge of the buys told Roll Call.

Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds' abrupt withdrawal last week from the 16-way contest to fill the vacancy created by Speaker John A. Boehner’s retirement is another sign of how little conservatives think of the former speaker.

Reynolds was seen as a favorite among the 14 Republicans in the race and was believed to have Boehner's backing. But that didn't work in Reynolds' favor among some conservatives.

In North Carolina, state Speaker Thom Tillis, Dr. Greg Brannon, and Pastor Mark Harris are vying for the GOP nomination to challenge Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., in a marquee race that will help determine which party controls the Senate next year.

Miami University of Ohio professor Tom Poetter announced this week that he will challenge Speaker John A. Boehner in Ohio's 8th District, marking the first Democrat to try to oust the top House Republican this cycle.

Poetter, an education professor at Miami University, has also directed the university's Partnership Office, which helps the university reach out to the surrounding community.